The Baha'is of Egypt have been subjected to persecution and systematic oppression. While their quest for equality has been finally heard by many of their fellow citizens, there remain challenges and obstacles to the implementation of laws intended to grant them their full civil rights and equal opportunity in their society. With the emergence of the new Egypt, they seek to be given the opportunity to actively engage in rebuilding their nation.

Monday, February 02, 2009

After ruling on all the cases before the court today, and in the midst of confusion and lack of accountability, the Egyptian Supreme Administrative Court's Judge informed those present that he has not "seen" the Baha'i file needed to announce the verdict in that case!

The answer to this situation was quite simple: come back again on 16 February 2009, and by then, may be...just may be, the judge will have something to say. In the interim, the Baha'is of Egypt are left hanging and with very little hope for justice or civil rights....

Following the initial hearing of the appeal on 27 September 2008 by this court and the scheduled verdict date of 20 October, this is the fifth postponement (3 November, 15 December, 19 January 2009 & 2 February) by Egypt's Supreme Administrative court regarding the appeal brought by Islamist lawyers in their attempt to reverse the 29 January 2009 ruling that permitted the Baha'is of Egypt to obtain ID cards and birth certificates with dashes [--] inserted in place of religious identification.

Attached is a prayer by Abdu'l-Baha, the son of the Founder of the Baha'i religion, revealed for the Baha'is of Egypt. It was scanned from Howard Colby Ives [early American Baha'i] personal papers in the U.S. National Archives.

Below, is the complete version of the prayer for the Baha'is of Egypt that was sent for publication in 1919 by Shoghi Effendi Rabbani who later became the Guardian of the Baha'i Faith:

STAR OF THE WEST

Recent Tablet to the Bahá'ís of Egypt

Translation of the blessed Tablet revealed by 'Abdu'l-Bahá and sent by him for publication

Haifa, Palestine, March 17, 1919.

TO THE STAR OF THE WEST:

Dear Sir: I herewith enclose a copy of a Tablet recently revealed for the friends and maid servants of the Merciful in the country of Egypt, which the Beloved wishes you to publish in the columns of your well known STAR THE WEST. Shoghi Rabbani.

To the friends and the maid servants of the Merciful in the country of EgyptUpon them be El Baha el Abha!

0 ye who are sincere! 0 ye who are attracted! 0 ye who are of the new creation!

God, the Praised and the Exalted, hath said: "Are these the same as the oldcreatures Nay rather, they are clothed in garments of a new creation!" Then knowye that in the estimation of God, the example of the creatures is like unto apure, blessed tree of a wonderful trunk and strong seeds. He causes it to growgracefully, then its roots become firm, its twigs spring forth, its leavesbecome verdant, its flowers bloom and its fruits appear. Then its shade expandsover all the regions, until it reaches its ultimate evolution and growth,attains to its development and height, its significance become perfect and itsbranches extend over the East and the West of the earth.Then its creation is completed, its evolution is accomplished, its hopes becomeevident, it obtains its desire, it attains to its utmost perfection and itsbeauty becomes manifest. Then its withering begins, its leaves turn yellow, itsflowers become scattered, its fruits fall down and its earthly elements returnto the layers of its soil. No fruits remain upon it, no leaves, noattractiveness, no beauty, no sweetness and no freshness, until it becomes likeunto an old hollow palm tree.

Then a new tree grows from its seeds, green, verdant and freshened by thedivine outpouring, the merciful breeze, the heat from the Sun of Reality, theheavy rain from the clouds of the abundant mercy and the blowing wind from thewafting place of Providence. "Whatever verse we abolish or forget we replace bya better one." This is the example of the new creation, the miraculous cycle and the second resurrection, which is in conformity with the first creation.

Then thank ye God, the Praised and the Exalted, for the light of guidance, thiscomplete bounty and this great bestowal.He chooseth for His mercy

whomsoever He wisheth." Then it is incumbent upon ye to cry out with mostwonderful melodies:

Praise be to the One who created this marvelous dispensation!

Praise be to the One who made this new creation wonderful!

Praise be to the One who ordained this great outpouring!

Praise be to the One who shone forth with this evident light!

Praise be to the One who renewed this wonderful springtime!

Praise be to the One who perfumed the nostrils of the people of oneness withthe merciful fragrance which is diffused in all the countries! "And

thou didst see that the land which was barren and lifeless when we caused thewater to descend upon it, moved and grew and brought forth a beautiful pair ofall things."

Praise be to the One through the outpouring of Whose clouds these countriesbecame verdant!

Praise be to the One through the heavy rain of Whose compassion these rosegardens became beautified!

Praise be to the one through the current of Whose stream, these reservoirsbecame overflowing!

Praise be to the One who has chosen the sincere ones to spread His teachings inthe countries!

Praise be to the One who selected for His mercy pure souls; through thefragrance of whose love and perfumed breaths the hearts of the pious throb!

Praise be to the One who made the stars of guidance to smite the wicked!

Praise be to the One who guided the chosen community to the upright way andstraight path!

Could it be that this is the way the Egyptian justice system functions no matter the case? Do they ever make a swift decision or are their hands always "tied" by the government, the religious authorities, the ... you name it.I have the sad feeling that their courts for some reason or another are always in disarray and that many suffer because of it.

The appeal was first heard by the Supreme Administrative Court on 27 September 2008. It then scheduled its verdict for 20 October...it postponed until 3 November...postponed again until 15 December...postponed again until 19 January 2009...postponed again until 2 February...postponed again until 16 February 2009.

So, as you see, one initial hearing and 5 postponements. Thank you for noting this. I corrected the post.

This particular case and its so many postponements is out of the ordinary. It is better not to guess, but if I try to do so, my gut feeling is that no one wants to handle the hot potato, so it gets tossed around....

When you put yourself in the judge's shoes you would be able to figure out the many reasons for all these postponements...I see that you already figured that out.

Not again! Is this a Monty Python sketch or what? I hope that the Egyptian media are noticing the obvious and are highlighting the number of postponements to this decision. While at it they should also name and shame the judges who have for one reason or the other, been too scared so far to fulfil their duty: to stand up for justice!

By yet another lost opportunity to demonstrate any measure of responsibility and credibility, the Supreme Administrative Court has once again made evident their determination to disclaim the very right of the Baha’i community to due legal process and representation. An appeal by a hostile entity not party to the case - that by legal practice should not have been allowed consideration in the first place - has been used as further leverage to postpone the acknowledgment of what has been long established as a basic and unquestionable human right.

Nevertheless, it is anticipated that the future will see the court’s purpose fulfilled, rather than perform in contradiction with its title as the “Supreme Administrative Court”.

Free Baha'is in Iran Now!

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“All the Prophets of God,” asserts Bahá’u’lláh in the Kitáb-i-Íqán, “abide in the same tabernacle, soar in the same heaven, are seated upon the same throne, utter the same speech, and proclaim the same Faith.” From the “beginning that hath no beginning,” these Exponents of the Unity of God and Channels of His incessant utterance have shed the light of the invisible Beauty upon mankind, and will continue, to the “end that hath no end,” to vouchsafe fresh revelations of His might and additional experiences of His inconceivable glory. To contend that any particular religion is final, that “all Revelation is ended, that the portals of Divine mercy are closed, that from the daysprings of eternal holiness no sun shall rise again, that the ocean of everlasting bounty is forever stilled, and that out of the Tabernacle of ancient glory the Messengers of God have ceased to be made manifest” would indeed be nothing less than sheer blasphemy.

“They differ,” explains Bahá’u’lláh in that same epistle, “only in the intensity of their revelation and the comparative potency of their light.” And this, not by reason of any inherent incapacity of any one of them to reveal in a fuller measure the glory of the Message with which He has been entrusted, but rather because of the immaturity and unpreparedness of the age He lived in to apprehend and absorb the full potentialities latent in that Faith.(Shoghi Effendi: The World Order of Baha'u'llah)